GoodyBlog

Who's Your Daddy?

No, really...who's your daddy? If this question gives you a moment's pause, then we've got some good news for you. This week many CVS stores around the country started carrying over-the-counter DNA paternity test kits. That's right! You can now find out who your baby daddy is without making an expensive doctor's appointment or an embarrassing appearance on the Jerry Springer show. Now that's what I call progress!

BTW, how awesome is it that the kit is sandwiched between condoms and a pregnancy test on the "cautionary tale" rack in the picture? Things that make you go hmm....

What's your take on take-home DNA testing?

Spankin' New Headlines

Waiting on childcare subsidies—what some families have to go through. Philadelphia Inquirer

Should parents use a placebo pill to help their sick kids feel better? New York Times

After increasing for 25 years, the percentage of American kids who are overweight has leveled off. CBS News

Nearly half of all pregnancies each year are accidents, says a new survey. Boston Globe

Inquiries into adopting Chinese orphans have soared since the devastating earthquake. USA Today

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Spankin' New Headlines

The name game: If you choose a weird one, how will it affect your child’s life?  New York Times

Harry Potter fans, listen up! The 7th and last book will be split into two films because there was so much good stuff to work with. Yahoo! News

A scary fact: One in four teenage girls have at least one STD, according to new CDC data. USA Today

Pets can spread deadly MSRA infection. MSNBC

How children handle their parents’ scandals. ABC News

Is your child studying engineering? There’s a new push in schools to start teaching the subject as early as kindergarten. Wall Street Journal

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Spankin' New Headlines

Why you should take the TV out of your kids’ bedrooms. New York Times

Men do more housework than ever before—and that may lead to more sex. Yahoo! News

Gym class may help girls do better in academic subjects. USA Today

Keeping the chaos under control when you have multiples. Washington Post

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Spankin' New Headlines

Will drinking soda give your kids brittle bones? The Wall Street Journal

A father reflects on the dreaded sex talk. The Age

New website helps parents recognize autism red flags. Chicago Tribune

A Portland, Maine middle school is making birth control pills available to students, following an outbreak of pregnancies. CNN

On the rise: The number of parents claiming religious reasons to get out of vaccinating their children. Yahoo! News

No cough and cold medication for kids under 6? An FDA panel is weighing a petition from pediatricians. USA Today

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Spankin' New Headlines

A nightmare that disturbs the sleep of most new mothers. Chicago Sun-Times

Who knew? A treatable eye disorder mimics symptoms of ADHD. NY Times

Skip work, have sex, and if your baby's born 9 months from today, you qualify for a prize! One catch, you must live in Ulyanovsk, Russia. Yahoo! News

The worldwide childhood mortality rate is at a record low. BBC News

If your kids are off to school, but just virtually, they're part of a growing trend for K-12 students. USA Today

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Is He Spongeworthy?

No more rationing sponges ala Seinfeld's Elaine Benes, ladies. The Today sponge is back on store shelves—and how cute is that box? Have you ever seen such hip marketing of a contraceptive? (Well, maybe that Yaz commercial where the hot chick in the dance club seems weirdly knowledgeable about birth control--until she reveals she's a doctor and it makes a bit more sense.)

In any case, why did Elaine need to decide whether her bfs were spongeworthy or not? Today sponges were taken off the market in 1995 because the plant that manufactured them failed to meet FDA standards (it had nothing to do with the safety of the sponge), so Elaine needed to make her final stash last. Luckily for all sponge devotees, the Today sponge was purchased by a new company, the manufacturing equipment was updated, and--voila!--a hormone-free, over-the-counter birth control for women that doesn't need to be hoarded for special occasions.

Just some health notes: the sponge has a failure rate of about 16%, does not protect against STDs, and is not recommended for women who've given birth within the past 6 weeks, who have their period, or who are allergic to Nonoxynol 9.

Banana-Fanna-Fo-Fanna ...

Well, I see that Eddie Murphy has finally admitted paternity to the daughter of ex-turned-current Spice Girl Melanie "Scary Spice" Brown. I'm not so much interested in this celebrity drama and feuding as I am in the interesting coincidental cultural reference of the baby's name: Angel Iris Murphy Brown.

Now, I'm sure Ms. Scary didn't intend to name her daughter after the infamous Candice Bergen TV character, Murphy Brown, who stirred up quite a bit of controversy herself by having a baby out of wedlock in a high-profile way. (Dan Quayle, anyone?)

But, again, I'm not looking to comment on the moral or political implications of this naming coincidence. I'm a simple guy. (And it is Monday morning and I haven't even had the coffee yet.) I'm more intrigued by the actual name ... and others that tickle me in that crazy name game kind of way. So I was wondering if anybody knew of any other examples of this.

What are some of the wackiest, oddest, most unfortunate, or interesting name combinations that you know of? Any maiden name/married name combos for the kids that made you chuckle or take note? Ease us into the week with a smile and post your funnies here.

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Not the Breast of Ideas

To the kids, it may have been the Best. Party. Ever. But to the parents, it was a little hard to stomach.

My 11-year-old nephew was invited to a pool party recently with a bunch of other 11-year-olds. Splish splash. Fun, fun. The parents of the kid who were hosting had informed all of the other parents that they'd take the kids out to eat afterwards. Not a problem, right?

P.S.: The restaurant was Hooters.

Now, I fancy myself a pretty liberal guy, but Hooters? Really?? For a group of 11-year-olds?!? Really?!?! Especially given the fact that none of the other parents were told what the restaurant was going to be. I'm sure this left some of them hotter than a buffalo wing. If they'd at least been told about the choice of eatery, that would've given them the chance to raise the issue of maybe bringing the kids to a more family-friendly establishment. You know, to one where the waitstaff wears, oh, I don't know, a hygienically-conscious length of pant? (Just a suggestion.)

My nephew, at 11, even knew Hooters was an inappropriate choice, given that he sheepishly told my brother and sister-and-law where they went, as if he were the one who'd done something wrong. And when I nonchalantly asked him how his party was, he just giggled. So if an 11-year-old is smart enough to see the inappropriateness of the situation, you'd have to be a complete … well, boob … not to know better yourself as an adult. I mean, would anyone bring a group of 11-year-old girls to a restaurant with shirtless Chippendale waiters? I mean, good Lord! Where would they even put their name tags?

Am I being being too hard on this parent? Too conservative? Am I overreacting? What would you do if your 11-year-old came home and told you this news … with a coy smile and a gallon of hot wing sauce on his face? Would you say something to the kid's parents? To your kid? Let us know.

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Spankin' New Headlines

A scary new trend: the birthrate of boys is falling. Washington Post

Does Amy Sohn’s toddler watch too much TV? The writer and her husband completely disagree. NY Magazine

Fly me to summer camp (on a private jet). NY Post

To start kindergarten or to wait a year? An age-old question. NY Times

Japan scientists develop a creepy child robot. Yomiuri Shimbun